Quincy Prince: Project Genesis
The Question The mystery surrounding the creation and the relationship of a Zanpakutou and their Shinigami masters had always perplexed Ryūichi. It was said that the Zanpakutou were generated from the spirit of the Shinigami, but his own investigations and interview's with Shinigami had discounted that...well at least in some cases. For example the allusive and rare Hyōrinmaru, had at one time appeared before two Shinigami, so that only proved that Zanpakutou were not only generated from the soul of a Shinigami but another unknown process. He had been successful - somewhat, in recreating the artificial souls and the bodies used to house them, the gigai. But even, those were largely preliminary tests. Further investigation led to questions regarding the so called "release states" of Shinigami. He had learned that Shinigami were rather discreet about that subject, and less than willling to share such information. At the time he had been nearly killed in ambush and wasnt in the mood for the Shinigamis insubordination. The result irrevocably destroyed any chances he had of ever getting another one of the Shinigami on duty to speak with him about the subject again. But still, their unwillingness to cooperate didn't deter him. No, it only served to fuel the fire, his curiosity had to be sated. So he continued his research, and of course he had to find a place to do his work. It was difficult but he groomed his hacking skills for this very occasion, rewiring funds from some well known shady companies, setting a trail to another equally evil rival company, to cover his tracks, and he was able to afford a small abandoned plot of land for his own personal use. Another boon was that technology had continued to develop, bringing new comforts to replace the old. Experimental construction materials were now complete and commonplace, so creating his own storage room and lab had taken only a week to construct with the help of his artificial souls. His father had questioned the motivation for his interest, though he replied that was simple curiosity, and left it at that. His pride wouldn't allow him to divulge the real reason. His enemies were growing more powerful and varied with each encounter. Even with his own abilities, he was coming closer and closer to death each time. He needed to rectify that. Despite his best laid plans, he was no stranger to failure. Creating a Zanpakutou, was infinitely more difficult than constructing an artificial soul, requiring massive amounts of concentrated spiritual energy, an environment full of spiritrons to draw said energy from, and a plethora of other things the Human World simply lacked. He was persistent though, eventually learning the infamous "Garganta" so he could travel to Hueco Mundo as well as Soul Society to gather the necessary materials for his research. Modifying Ginto spells had become necessary which allowed him to create a simulated environment abundant in spiritual energy. With those obstacles out of the way, he began using the same creation process for artificial souls to help generate the soul of a Zanpakutou. Again, this was process was largely trial and error, given the distinct differences between the two. He had also dabbled into the Fullbring, that some humans exhibited. Compared to creating artificial souls, imitating Fullbring, or more precisely its principle had been rather simple. Given that Zanpakutou manifest or rather solidify themselves into a weapon, this brought forth the creation of the Anti-Soul Arms. But he was missing something. While a technological marvel the Anti-Soul Arms were prototypes at best. There was some unseen catalyst at play here, and he would find it, sooner or later, the secret would be unveiled. A Fathers Inquiry Despite himself, Uryuu couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Ryūichi had been strangely distant the past few weeks, disappearing at night, showing up in the morning disheveled and obviously tired. He wanted to press the issue, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do so. He knew his son, more so than Ryūichi thought he knew, and it was rare for Ryūichi to take such an interest in something that he would go out of his way to keep his own father out of it. But he would wait, like any good father, he knew that interfering with his son's plans would be more trouble than its worth. Genesis Hidden deep underground in his secret laboratory the sound of an explosion went off in the middle of an experiment. The room had quickly filled with smoke from the blast, as dust and debris obscured his vision. He clutched his body, painfully aware of the various injuries on his person, after he had been violent thrown into the wall, the force alone cracking several of his ribs, and collapsing it on top of him. But paid them no heed as he tossed aside the wreckage, and crawled out. One hand held his throbbing ribcage, as the other swatted away the smoke. Thankfully he had installed ventilation within the room, which quickly dispersing it. As the dust settled, he glanced around the room taking note of the catastrophe that was his supplies, scattered, broken and laid out haphazardly across the floor. Sighing he quickly scanned the rest of the room for an assessment of what was left. His ears perked he heard a crash followed by a slow but methodical screech, like a knives being dragged across the ground. Turning his head he found himself staring at the approaching figure, a strange woman wearing a school uniform, though it was obviously made for a woman. White and black in color, it hugged her small but supple frame, long raven colored hair fluttered at her waist, as piercing ebony eyes stared back into his own. But what drew his attention was the crimson orb embedded in her chest with a single black slit that moved wildly, before fixating its gaze on him. She wore black colored metallic should pauldrons and gauntlets, though she only wore a single grieve on her right leg. His eyes drifted to her right arm, which was dragging a monstrously large weapon, no a cannon of sorts ending in dozens of razor sharp blades across the floor. A pair of lustrous raven wings flapped softly just above her waist, in tempo with the clicking of her thigh-length boots. Suddenly she stopped moving, crumbling to her knees, staring with unfocused eyes at the ground. He took a few cautious steps forward, unsure of how approach her. Then he felt it. He was forcibly brought to his knees, desperately gasping for breath, as it felt as though his entire body were suddenly caught in a vice grip, crushing him from all sides. Raw unadulterated uncontrollable power, his power, so thick and dense it was if an ocean had suddenly descended upon him, began rippling outward in waves, pulsating at its own rhythm. Its sheer intensity blanketing the laboratory with its golden luminescence, he was forced to shut his eyes lest its brilliance blind him. "I-Impossible! His thoughts raged. "Thats my....spiritual power!" Struggling to his knees, he flooded his body with his own energy, but cringed in pain as he felt a jab in his gut. In the commotion he had forgotten how his ribs were broken, as he painfully held a hand to his side. To his growing horror, her power seemed to leap in eagerness as the strength of her spiritual pressure spiked. "S-she's...taking...my...power!? He realized as he felt his reserves noticeably drop. His thoughts were cut short, as the figure suddenly raised her head, a blazing orbs staring beneath the darkness. Her body gave a sudden jerk, before she abruptly disappeared. --- Uryuu held no illusions that his son could take care of himself. So he kept himself busy by tending to the after hour operations of his hospital, not unlike his own father did when he was a child. It was for only an instant, but his body shook with a shudder. An enormous burst of spiritual energy had triggered his senses. It was Ryuichi's. But, the level of power he detected, easily dwarfed some Shinigami Captains. Ryuichi didnt have anywhere near that amount. But something was off. He was certain that it his, but...there was something else...something foreign. Something was definitely wrong. "ARRGGHHHHHHH!!!!" His head abruptly turned to what he thought was the source. "Was that...a scream? From this distance?" Dammit Ryuichi! What have you gotten yourself into? the elder Quincy thought. Amidst his thoughts, his body had mechanically begun preparing for departure. His son was in danger, that alone was reason enough. He grasped his Quincy Pentacle, as he headed towards the door, but stopped in surprise when the door abruptly opened. But it was the person at the door that drew back his attention. "Y-you?" he managed to get out, as the color drained from his face. "Hello....Ishida-kun," the women replied. "...its been awhile hasn't it?" "...Inoue-san?" he gasped. --- Ryuichi clutched the stump that was formerly his arm, gritting his teeth in anguish as he leapt back. He grunted as he mustered his concentration, knowing what he had to do next. The incantation escaped his lips with practiced ease, as the Ginto worked its magic. Magical fire blossomed from his hand as he held it to the bleeding stump, cauterizing it and sealing the wound. A fire burned within his eyes, as he found himself face to face against an opponent that for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure he could beat. Awakening the Chaos Glancing at the assailant, she raised her arm cannon again, preparing to deliver the final blow. Ryuichi quickly gathered spiritual energy beneath his feet, using Hirenkyaku to slide underneath her attack. Her sword arc'd over his head as he dipped low, as it smashed into the floor with a thunderous crash. He hadn't stopped moving, as he darted towards a nearby table, picking up one of the GEMINI pistols. Flickering from his position to gain some distance, he felt another crushing blow, this one to his backside, slamming him into the ground. Ryuichi wasnt in the best of positions. Grimly, he tried to fight his way to his feet. His left arm was throbbing from pain, and his vision was swimming. Still, he managed to get one knee under him. Then the other. Then- Then he felt the womans fingers in his head, digging into his hair and hoisting him up by it. Before he could react, she used her grip to smash him face first into one of walls. His vision blacked out for a second, and his glasses were destroyed. She slammed him again, and then dragged him across the wall, at a sprint before hurling him across the other side of the room. Mid-flight Ryuichi managed to get his bearings, as he flipped through the air, and crouch landed against the opposing wall. He turned towards her, only to find the woman gone inches from his face. Reacting instantly he lashed out with a pistol-whip, knocking her head back. Suddenly her hand erupted into motion, moving too quick for him to react as it viciously grabbed his throat, the air abruptly cut-off from his lungs. In response, he shoved GEMINI into her face and fired. And fired. His spirit bullets weren't inflicting any real damage, but it had the intended effect. Once he felt her grip loosen, he used the opportunity to violently shove her back with fierce kick, the force sending her flying and crashing into a table full of supplies. Cautiously he regarded the prone woman as she mechanically made her way into a standing position. An explosion erupted from the point of impact, obscuring both fighters in a smokey haze. Beneath the debris, Ryuichi crawled his way out, coughing violently, as a spittle of blood made its way down his mouth. It was obvious his injuries were beginning to take their toll on him. But the battle wasn't over yet. The mysterious woman slowly dislodging herself from the ceiling, showing little to no injury. With a grunt, he made his way to his feet, his hand tightly grasping GEMINI. "GEMINI doesnt have enough power. At least not by itself. I'll need ZEUS to deal with this." But the woman didnt give him a chance to ponder any longer. Already free, she lunged forward spinning mid-air to deliever a lightning quick axe kick. Stepping to the side he dropped into a low stance, his body rippling with spiritual energy as his elbow struck her side with extreme force. Category:Illuminate Void Category:Story Arcs Category:Fanfiction